Project Details

OR 99W: Barbur Boulevard Safety Improvments

Construction Phase

Region 1: Portland metro and Hood River County (Portland, Multnomah)

Barbur Boulevard (OR Highway 99W) is a state-owned, vital north-south corridor connecting Downtown Portland to Washington County and beyond. To increase safety on SW Barbur Boulevard (OR 99W), from Naito Parkway to the south end of Capitol Highway, the Oregon Department of Transportation will make improvements this summer for people who ride bikes, walk, ride buses and drive motor vehicles.

Impacts

Traffic Impact

​The work will be done during the day and at night from August to October 2017.

Motorists:Intermittent lane closures will occur. Work will be done in a moving operation.

People on bikes and walking: Vegetation trimming will also be of short duration in bicycle lanes and/or sidewalks. Any temporary sidewalk closures will include an accessible, signed pedestrian detour.

Bus riders:Bus stops should remain open and any work impacts will be minimal and of short duration.

Noise impacts:Most of the work will cause minimal noise and will be short in duration. The majority of the construction will move along Barbur Boulevard. Work will not be allowed at night between 11 p.m. and 8 a.m. For noise concerns during overnight construction, call the 24-hour hotline at 503-283-5859.

Close the left turn lane on Barbur Boulevard at the businesses just north of Capitol Highway to reduce conflicts and the potential for crashes. All other accesses will remain, encouraging safer right turns.

For people walking:

To discourage motorists from changing lanes at crosswalks with flashing beacons near these crosswalks, add no-pass striping at these crosswalks.

Mark pedestrian crosswalksat the Barbur Transit Center entrances.

For people riding bicycles, we will:

Restripe bike lanes to add buffers in several locations where the roadway width allows or by removing parking. A buffered bike lane is a standard bike lane with a designated buffer space that provides additional separation between people on bikes and in cars.

Add more bicycle detection loops at the Newbury and Vermont Bridges to activate the flashing bike warning beacons earlier.

Install a speed feedback sign on northbound Barbur prior to the flashing bike beacons at the Newbury and Vermont bridges, for increased motorist awareness and speed management. Speed reduction striping will also be installed on both bridges.

Add green bike lane markings at several intersections to increase visibility of areas where turning vehicles must yield to bikes before crossing the bike lane. Modify right turn lanes to shorten conflict points between vehicles and bicycles.

Install green left turn bike boxes at Terwilliger Boulevard to provide an area for people on bikes to wait for the signal while making “two-stage” left turns.

Mark bike lanes through long intersections.

Intersection Bike Lane Markings

Intersection bike lane markings indicate the intended path of cyclists and guide cyclists on a direct path through long intersections. The intersection markings will:

Raise awareness for both bicyclists and motorists to potential turning conflict areas.

Reinforce that through bicyclists have priority over turning vehicles or vehicles entering the roadway from cross streets.

Two-Stage Left Turn Bike Boxes

At the intersection of Barbur Boulevard and Terwilliger Boulevard, we will install three green, left-turn bike boxes to provide a space for people riding bikes to wait for the green light signal while making “two-stage” left turns. For maps of the green boxes at this intersection, see the project documents below. The 2-stage green turn boxes:

Reduce conflicts arising from bicyclists crossing multiple lanes of traffic to use the left turn lane.

Improve bicyclist ability to safely and comfortably make left turns.

Raise awareness of potential conflicts between bicyclists and motor vehicles.

Location

OR 99W
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From SW Naito Parkway to Capitol Highway (south end).

Benefits

To increase safety on SW Barbur Boulevard (OR 99W), from Naito Parkway to the south end of Capitol Highway, the Oregon Department of Transportation will make improvements this summer for people who ride bikes, walk, ride buses and drive motor vehicles.

Recent Safety Improvments on Barbur Boulevard

In the past four years, ODOT has spent $8 million to improve safety on OR 99W and Barbur Boulevard in the City of Portland and Washington County. This includes installing rapid flash beacons in several locations to alert motorists when pedestrians are crossing. In addition, sidewalk improvements have been made, pedestrian islands added, flashing bicycle beacons installed on the Newbury and Vermont Bridges and speed feedback installed signs to alert drivers.

Additional Information

The Oregon Department of Transportation conducted a Road Safety Audit from July 20-24, 2015 on Southwest Barbur Boulevard between Naito Parkway and the south end of Capitol Highway. The Road Safety Audit considered additional short-term and long-term transportation safety improvements for all users and evaluated the effectiveness of nearly $8 million of recent safety projects on Barbur Boulevard. These projects came from the recommendations of the Audit team. To receive a copy of the Road Safety Audit, contact Susan Hanson.